Every breath you take:
You can turn a folder into a taskbar toolbar.
First, unlock your taskbar.
Next, drag the icon of the desired folder to the space between the taskbar buttons and the clock. (Wait for the no-entry cursor to change to an arrow. It's a very tiny space; you will have to hunt for it.)
You can rearrange and resize the taskbar toolbar you just created.
You can even turn the taskbar toolbar into a menu by resizing it until only its name is visible.